राजहंसयुते विप्र विमाने स्वर्णनिर्मिते । आरूढा सा गता तैस्तु वेष्टिता विष्णुमंदिरम्
O brāhmaṇa, she ascended the golden airplane, yoked with royal swans, and, surrounded by them, went to Viṣṇu's abode.
तत्र तस्थौ चिरं भोगं कृत्वा सा वै यथेप्सितम् । या कुर्यात्कार्त्तिके विप्र राधादामोदरार्चनम्
There she remained for a long time, enjoying pleasures as she wished; O brāhmaṇa, whoever worships Rādhā and Dāmodara in Kārtika attains the same.
याति पूजा त्यक्तपापाद्गोलोकाख्यं मनोहरम् । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या या च नारी समाहिता । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं तस्य तस्या विनश्यति
Having abandoned sin, she attains the enchanting Goloka through this worship; whoever listens to this with devotion, or any woman who does so with concentration, their sins of millions of births are destroyed.
शौनक उवाच। कथयस्व मुने सूत सर्वमासोत्तमस्य च । कार्तिकस्य विधिं सम्यङ्नियमान्वक्तुमर्हसि
Śaunaka said: 'O sage Sūta, please tell the complete procedure for the most excellent month, Kārtika, and you should properly explain the rules.'
सूत उवाच। आश्विनस्य द्विजश्रेष्ठ पौर्णमास्यां समाहितः । कार्तिकस्य व्रतं कुर्याद्यावदुद्बोधिनी भवेत्
Sūta said: 'O best of brāhmaṇas, beginning from the full moon of Āśvina, one should observe the vow of Kārtika with concentration, until the day of Udbodhinī.'
दिवा विप्र नरः कुर्यान्मलमूत्रमुदङ्मुखः । भवेन्मौनी च सर्वज्ञ रात्रौ चेद्दक्षिणामुखः
During the day, O brāhmaṇa, a man should face north when passing urine or stool, and remain silent and self-controlled; at night, he should face south.
पथ्यंभसि च गोष्ठेषु श्मशाने वल्मिके द्विज । कुर्यादुत्सर्जनं नैव व्रती मूत्रपुरीषयोः
In water fit for use, in cow pens, in cremation grounds, or in anthills, O brāhmaṇa, one observing the vow should never pass urine or stool.
अत्युत्तमेषु स्थानेषु मलमूत्रं न कारयेत् । शुद्धां मृदं गृहीत्वाथ वामं प्रक्षालयेत्करम्
In the most excellent places, one should not pass urine or stool; taking clean earth, one should wash the left hand.
अद्भिर्मृदापि शुद्ध्यर्थं पूर्वं विंशतिसंख्यया । एका लिंगे गुदे पंच तथा वामकरे दश
For the sake of purification, one should first use water and clay twenty times: once on the linga, five times on the anus, and ten times on the left hand.
उभयोर्दश दातव्या पादयोश्च त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः । मुखशुद्धिं ततः कुर्य्यात्संकल्पं स्नपनस्य च
Ten times should be given to both hands, and three times each to the feet; then one should cleanse the mouth and make the resolve for bathing.
हृदि दामोदरं ध्यात्वा इमं मंत्रं ततो वदेत् । कार्तिकेहं करिष्यामि प्रातःस्नानं जनार्द्दन
Meditating on Damodara in the heart, one should then recite this mantra: 'In Kartika, I shall perform the morning bath, O Janardana.'
दामोदरस्य प्रीत्यर्थं राधया पापनाशनं । नमः पंकजनाभाय श्रीकृष्णजलशायिने
For the pleasure of Damodara, together with Radha, the destroyer of sins, I bow to the lotus-naveled one, to Sri Krishna who lies upon the waters.
नमस्ते राधया सार्द्धं गृहाणार्घं प्रसीद मे । स्नानं कुर्य्यात्ततो विप्र तिलकं तु यथाविधि
Salutations to you together with Radha; accept this offering, be gracious to me. Then, O brahmin, one should bathe and apply the tilaka as prescribed.
ऊर्ध्वपुंड्रविहीनस्तु किंचित्कर्मकरोति यः । निष्फलं कर्म तत्सर्वं सत्यमेतन्मयोच्यते
Whoever performs any act without the vertical tilaka, all that action is fruitless—this is the truth I declare.
यच्छरीरं मनुष्याणामूर्ध्वपुंड्रं विना कृतम् । तद्दर्शनं न कर्तव्यं दृष्ट्वा सूर्यं निरीक्षयेत्
Whatever body of a person is without the vertical tilaka, one should not look upon it; having seen it, one should gaze at the sun.
ऊर्ध्वपुंड्रं मृदा शुभ्रं ललाटे यस्य दृश्यते । चांडालोऽपि विशुद्धात्मा पूज्य एव न संशयः । अच्छिद्रमूर्ध्वपुंड्रं तु ये कुर्वंति नराधमाः
Even if a chandala bears a pure white vertical tilaka on his forehead, he is of purified soul and worthy of worship—there is no doubt. But those base men who make a broken tilaka—
तेषां ललाटे सततं शुनःपादो न संशयः । प्रातःकालोदितं कर्म्म समाप्य हरिवल्लभाम्
On their foreheads always is the mark of the dog-eater, without doubt. Having completed the morning duties, one should worship Hari's beloved.
पूजयेद्भक्तितो विप्र तुलसीं पापनाशिनीम् । पौराणीं तु कथां श्रुत्वा श्रीहरेः स्थिरमानसः
With devotion, O brahmin, one should worship the sin-destroying tulasi. After hearing the ancient stories, one should fix the mind steadily on Sri Hari.
ततो विप्रं व्रती भक्त्या पूजयेत्तं यथाविधि । परासनं परान्नं च परशय्यां परांगनाम्
Then, with devotion, one should worship the brahmin observer of vows as prescribed; one should always avoid another's seat, food, bed, and wife.
सर्वदा वर्जयेद्विप्र कार्त्तिके च विशेषतः । सौवीरकं तथा माषानामिषं च तथा मधु
One should always avoid these, O brahmin, and especially in Kartika: sauvira, masha beans, meat, and likewise honey.
राजमाषादिकं नित्यं वर्जयेत्कार्तिके व्रती । जंबीरमामिषं चूर्णमन्नं पर्य्युषितं द्विज
One observing the Kartika vow should always avoid rajamasha and the like, jambira, meat, powders, and food that is stale, O twice-born.
धान्ये मसूरिका प्रोक्ता गवां दुग्धमनामिषम् । लवणं भूमिजं विप्र प्राण्यङ्गमामिषं खलु
Among grains, masurika is mentioned; milk of cows is not meat; salt from the earth, O brahmin, and animal flesh are indeed to be avoided.
द्विजक्रीता रसाः सर्वे जलं चाल्पसरः स्थितम् । ब्रह्मचर्यं तुर्यकाले पत्रावल्यां च भोजनम्
All juices bought from brahmins, and water kept in a small vessel; celibacy at the fourth period, and eating on leaf plates.
कुर्याद्वै द्विजशार्दूल तैलाभ्यंगं च वर्जयेत् । छत्राकं नालिकं हिंगुं पलांडुं पूतिकादलम्
One should do these, O best of brahmins, and avoid oil-massage; mushrooms, reed-shoots, asafoetida, onions, and putrid leaves.
लशुनं मूलकं शिग्रुं तथैव तुंबिकाफलम् । कपित्थं चैव वृंताकं कूष्मांडं कांस्यभोजनम्
Garlic, radish, drumstick, as well as gourd fruit, wood-apple, eggplant, pumpkin, and eating from bronze vessels.
द्विपाचितं सूतिकान्नं मत्स्यं शय्यां रजस्वलाम् । द्विस्त्रिश्चान्नं स्त्रियः संगं वर्जयेत्कार्तिकव्रती
Food cooked twice, food of a woman in childbirth, fish, a bed, a menstruating woman, food touched twice, and association with women—these should be avoided by one observing the Kartika vow.
धात्रीफलं गृही विप्र रवौ तत्सर्वदा त्यजेत् । कूष्मांडे धनहानिः स्यात्बृहत्यां न स्मरेद्धरिम्
O Brahmin, one should always avoid the fruit of the myrobalan tree during the day; eating gourd causes loss of wealth, and with brāhmi one should not remember Hari.
पटोले तु न वृद्धिः स्याद्बलहानिश्च मूलके । कलंकी जायते बिल्वे तिर्यग्योनिश्च निंबुके
With pointed gourd there is no increase, with radish there is loss of strength; in bael fruit blemish arises, and with lime one is born in animal wombs.
ताले शरीरनाशः स्यान्नारिकेले च मूर्खता । तुंबी गोमांसतुल्या स्याद्गोवधं स्यात्कलिंदके
With palm fruit, there is destruction of the body; with coconut, stupidity results; bottle gourd is like eating cow's flesh, and with water-melon, it is as if one kills a cow.
शिंबी पापकरा प्रोक्ता पूतिका ब्रह्मघातिका । वार्ताक्यां सुतनाशः स्याच्चिररोगी च माषके
The cluster bean is said to cause sin, and the putikā bean is as grave as killing a Brahmin; with eggplant, there is loss of offspring, and with black gram, one becomes chronically ill.